Know How to Write a Powerful Resume Part 1

Writing powerful resumes was my job for over ten years. I have personally written or reviewed over 4,000 resumes for job seekers across the USA and Canada. It was amazing to see some of the resumes they brought to my office or classroom. Many of these resumes had been written by so-called professional resume writers. Unfortunately those resumes would have lost the job seeker more opportunities than they would have ever won.

It was once said to me, "Anyone can write a resume." That is the same as saying, "Anyone can sing." We all know that some people do a far better job at it than others. Of the thousands of students who came through my workshops I can easily say that the majority of them make some very common mistakes. These mistakes seriously prevented their resume having any real power. When I teach a workshop on how to write a powerful resume I like to start with a multiple choice quiz so that I can begin to lay the groundwork for changing how the jobseeker approaches writing a resume. As a facilitator is is important to start where the participant is already so that I can add to what he knows.

The first question is very straight forward. 'What is a resume?' Luckily for the quiz taker I offer three possible answers. A very large number of them get this question wrong. They think that it is "written representation of who they are, what they have done and where they did it." Wrong, the correct answer is that your resume is a marketing tool. Knowing this enables you to write a powerful resume.

The second question 'What is the purpose of a resume?' A major portion of the students thought that the purpose of the resume was to get you a job. This is incorrect. The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. I know it is hard to believe but some people do lie or exaggerate on their resume. If an employer hired you because she liked your resume they could be unhappily surprised when you were not who or what the resume said you were. That is why the purpose of the resume is to get you an interview. So they can make an informed decision about your being right for the position and the business.

Third question is 'What information should you include in your resume?' The best answer revolves around choosing only specific information. If the information on your resume does not sell your this particular position then take it off. Offer only the information that will generate an offer for an interview.